The Power of Imagination
by StoryCrafter
Summary: Babs Bunny, cohost of TV's Tiny Toons, moves into Foster's after her kid dies.
1. Babsy Comes to Foster’s

The Power Of Imagination

Chapter 1: Babsy comes to Foster's

Posted: 2 Dec 2006

It was the beginning of a new day of Francis Katherine Foster, although she much rather be called Frankie. Her job was to make all the imaginary friends had as comfortable of a stay as possible. She was very good at this, and very busy. She was getting supper when the phone rang. "Could somebody get that? I'm a little busy here."

No one jumped up to pick up the phone.

Frankie grumbled. "Fine. I'll go get it myself then." She put the spoon she stirring the pasta and stomped toward the phone. When she finally answered it, she could have been a little more polite in her response. "Yeah, yeah, what do you want?"

"Is this Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends?" the voice at the other end of the line asked. She sounded very weary. It took Frankie a second to recognize Mac's mom's voice on the phone. "I had thought it was. But I had never met such rudeness from the people who worked that before. If you catch my meaning, that is."

"I'm so sorry, Mrs. Jonson, I just was having such a hectic day and all, and I guess that was just a little impatient there."

"I understand. But," Mac's mom said, and could see the older woman holding up a finger, "however, I might have been somebody who doesn't know you as well as I do."

Frankie blushed from embarrassment. "Oh right. I didn't even think of that." Though she should have had. She was the public voice of Foster's after all. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"That's all right." There was a pause on the line. "I'm calling to tell you that Mac is sick and won't be coming over."

"Oh my gosh! Is it serious?"

"It's just a flu. Nothing too serious." But people have died from having the flu! "But he won't be able to leave for the next two days so that he won't be able to visit Bloo."

"Bloo? How do you know about him?"

"Mac is an eight-year-old boy. He isn't that opaque."

"Oh." That certainly put a new light on things. "And you haven't said a thing about it?"

"No, I didn't want Mac to think that I was spying on his every move."

"No, Mac wouldn't like that," Frankie agreed. "But could you tell me when Mac gets better?"

"Of course."

Frankie returned to the pasta. Lunch didn't cook itself you know.

Her afternoon went as expected. With cleaning, washing, and cooking and sometimes answering the door. At least some of the friends help her. Most of the friends, actually. Especially Wilt. He was the most helpful imaginary friend that Frankie had met. And she had met a lot of imaginary friends in her time. She wondered if she would ever meet anyone more helpful than Wilt.

-OOO-

There were certain advantages to being tall, Wilt had realized over the years. It allowed him to reach places that some others couldn't. Such as when somebody wanted something from a shelf too high for them to reach. Which happens a lot more often than you would think. Like when Frankie wanted a roll of paper towels, but they were stashed at the top of the closet, where she had trouble reaching. "Thank you, Wilt," she said when he had just now provided her that service. "You're a big help around here. I don't know what I would do without you."

"Aw, it was the least I could do." But Frankie had just said began to worry him. What would happen when he gets adopted? Who would help her then? Who would take off some of the burden of her chores?

"Thanks for helping me, Wilt. But shouldn't you be playing with your friends?"

"No, Frankie. I'm sorry, but too many people around this house need my help."

"Well, you can help _me_ by keeping Bloo out of trouble."

Wilt saluted. "Will do, Frankie."

As he turned to leave, the doorbell was rung. "Oh, who could that be?" Frankie sighed. "I guess better go answer it before Old Cotton Butt scolds me for not answering the door in time."

"Frankie I can take those paper towels for you."

Frankie shook her head. "No, you're keeping Bloo out of trouble. Remember?"

"Oh, right. Sorry."

-OOO-

Frankie found a friend to give the paper towels to, went down the stairs and opened the front door. And found a pink bunny imaginary friend was standing on the front porch. "Is this Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends?"

"Yes. That's us all right."

"Good, I'm finally here." The pink bunny with the yellow blouse and the purple skirt and bows on her ears hopped into Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends like she owned the place. Maybe she thought she did. "I so do like what you've done with the place." She began to admire the foyer with a keen eye for details. The grand staircase with its detailed cast plaster moldings. And the high ceilings with the crystal clear chandelier overhead.

And Madame Foster's bust.

It was when Babs Bunny started to examine it with a magnifying glass that she had pulled out from somewhere that Frankie started to worry. And be miffed. "Is that really necessary?"

"I'm afraid that it is."

"May I ask why?"

"Sure," Babs said in a distracted sort of way. And then went right on examining it like she had been doing.

Finally Frankie had enough. "Why are you examining the statue like that?"

Babs looked back sheepishly. "I'm sorry. But could you repeat that? I was a little distracted."

"Yes, I can see that," Frankie said under her breath. Aloud, she repeated. "Why are you examining the statue like that?"

"It looks like one I have seen before. I just was checking if it was the same one."

"Just are you checking for anyway?"

"Cracks. Nicks. Globs of glue. That sort of thing. Signs that it had been busted and then put back together again."

"Whatever for?"

"Because I broke just like it when I was at Julie's house."

"Was Juilie your kid?"

"Yes, that's right."

"But don't you don't a tour first. And besides," Frankie pointed out, waving her hand dismissively, "Ole Fuzzbutt had hundreds of these made as they have bad habit of breaking." Frankie winced at the memory of breaking about a dozen of them by just waking up. This wouldn't be the Foster bust to be broken, if it was in fact broken.

"Ole Fuzzbutt?"

"Him." Frankie pointed. She had spotted Mr. Herriman hop out of his office and heading in their direction. "Mr. Herriman, the office manager."

"Ah," Babs replied. "A fellow rabbit."

"Ah," Mr. Herriman said as he approached. "I see we have a new guest here at the house. And who might you be?"

Babs knitted her brow. "Don't you watch television?"

"Yes, I watch it upon occasion."

"Ever watch a little program by the name of Steven Spielberg Presents Tiny Toon Adventures?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"You know, Tiny Toons."

Mr. Herriman lifted his nose into the air and sniffed. "I never in all my life wasted my time watching such drivel. I-"

"Drivel! I happen to be, I'll have you know, one of the co-stars of the show, the cute and wonderful Barbara Ann Bunny." She smiled daintily. "But you can call me Babs."

"Miss Barbara," (Babs winced.), "you are hardly one of those dreadful cartoon characters, you are an imaginary friend. The sooner you get to that fact, the better. Miss Francis!"

"I'm right here!"

"Take Miss Barbara on a tour of the house while I go about my rounds."

"Yes, Mr. Herriman."

Babs grinned mischievously. "Besides, I'm also a rabbit!"

Mr. Herriman adjusted his monocle. "So you are. Welcome to the house. We could always use another rabbit around here." He nodded. "Carry on." He hopped away.

"So what are we waiting for? Let's go take that tour!"

-OOO-

Bloo and his roommates were involved in a heated argument about the game they were going to play next. Everyone was standing, except for Coco, who was in her nest. Coco wanted to play Simon Says. And Wilt wanted to play basketball. And Eduardo wanted to play a nice game of checkers. While Bloo wanted to play a super, awesome game of super ninjas all over the house. It would so awesome and super. Everyone should play it! Or so he claimed. Wilt wasn't so sure about that. It seemed a bit too violent and things would be bound to broken around the house. A lot of things broken. And he was supposed to keep Bloo out of trouble. "I'm sorry, Bloo, but I don't think that's a very good idea."

"Why not?" Bloo dismissed. "Oh, I see. You're just afraid that you would just get in trouble from Mr. Herriman. You know that he's just making up those rules as he goes along, just to get me into trouble?"

"Don't you think that he had created these rules for a reason?"

Bloo thought about for a second. But for only a second. "No."

Eduardo began crying. "I don't want to get into trouble. I don't want to get punished by Senor Herriman."

Bloo shook his head sadly. "Eduardo, Eduardo, Eduardo. You won't get into trouble. Not if you don't caught."

Eduardo immediately stopped his crying. "How?"

"I'm glad you asked, Eduardo." Bloo smiled. "I'm glad you asked me that question."

"Cocococo cocococococo coco."

"Coco is right, Bloo," Wilt said with knotted brow. "What is your plan for avoiding Mr. Herriman."

"It's simplicity itself, my friends." Bloo told them about the plan. After he did so, all three of his roommates started, at the same time, mind you, to laugh at him.

Wilt wiped away a tear from his eye. "I'm sorry, Bloo, but that would never ever ever ever ever ever-"

"All right! Jeez, you don't have to rub it in." Bloo crossed his arms. "Alright we won't play Super Ninjas All Over the House then. We'll play whatever game it is that you want to. Until I can think of something better of course."

Wilt rolled his eye. "That won't take long." Then he realized that what he had could be construed as insulting. "I'm sorry, Bloo, but I didn't mean it like that."

"No, Wilt. You were right. It won't take long for a genius like Bloogeread Q. Kazoo to come up with a fantastically awesome game that we could enjoy."

Eduardo shrugged. "Or we could just play Monopoly."

"That's a great idea, Eduardo," Wilt said.

"Coco cococococ cocococococococo cococo."

Wilt nodded. "Then it's all agreed then. We will play monopoly then."

Bloo mumbled something that sounded like complaints that hadn't been nearly enough discussion, but Wilt wasn't too sure.

"Oooh, that's a great idea," a voice came from the hall. "Mind if I joined you guys?"

Everyone looked in surprise. Eduardo gasped in surprise. A pink bunny imaginary friend with a yellow blouse and purple skirt and bows on her ears stood in the doorway with Frankie standing behind her. "You're the crazy rabbit on that crazy TV show," Eduardo said.

"I may be hyperactive," the pink bunny said, "but most certainly am not crazy."

"Excuse me, Eduardo," Wilt said. "But who is this?"

"My name," the bunny said, "is Babs Bunny, one of the stars of the delightful TV cartoon show, Tiny Toon Adventures."

Bloo rolled his eyes. "Oh great. Another lazy kid who had copied what he had seen on TV. Obviously didn't have the artistic talent that Mac had revealed when he had created me."

Babs stomped into the room as she rolled up her sleeves. "I'll have you know that Julie was a great kid. She has watched every episode of Tiny Toons ever made. At least ten times each! She had just wanted me to come alive." She smiled. "And she did come up with two of her own."

Frankie, who had just ready to spring into action to stop a fight, gasped. "Was? You mean Julie isn't with us anymore?"

Babs lowered her head sadly. "No, she isn't. I wish she that still was. I would be able to live her. Though she did manage to graduate college before she passed on."

"College?"

Babs smiled sheepishly. "Though I suppose this means that wasn't a kid any more."

Frankie shook her head no. "No, I suppose not."

"This things happen," Babs mused. Then she smiled. "But she died doing what she loved best helping others. Some thugs objected to the work she was doing in the third world country they were war lording over and so they killed her." Tears started to flow over her cheeks. "But they did it in most stupid way imaginable, and so Julie became a martyr and the thugs were soon killed afterward. And eventually I made my way here."

"Which third world nation was this?"

Babs pondered the question for a while. "I'm not sure," she said finally.

Bloo rolled his eyes. "How do we even know that her story is even true. For all we know, she could have made it all up."

"Bloo-" Wilt began, but Babs interrupted him. "That's all right," she said. "I have proof." She pulled a newspaper clipping out from her pocket. "I had clipped this newspaper account from the local paper." She sighed. "I wish that I can remember what the name of the paper was. Or still is, I suppose."

Bloo snatched the clipping from Babs's hand and began studying it with a critical eye for detail. "Do be careful with that," Babs said. "It's the only copy that I have left." She smiled. "Oh my. I haven't learned your names yet. Mine is Barbara Ann Bunny. But we can call me Babs," she said in a tone that suggested that was the only thing that they could call her.

"I'm Wilt," Wilt said. "And the big, burly one is Eduardo."

"Hola," said Eduardo. Though he still was a tad bit nervous around Babs.

"Hello."

"And the bird, plant, airplane looking is Coco."

"Coco."

"Hi there."

"And the blue blob is Bloo."

"Oh, I've heard of you," Babs said rather pointedly.

"No doubt of my many accomplishments," Bloo boasted.

"That's one way of putting it," Frankie grumbled. "Now you've met these guys. We still have the rest of the house to cover."

Babs nodded. "Very well, Frankie. See you around boys," she said in a sultry voice. "And you too, Coco," she added in a normal tone. And she left.

"Is she gone?" Eduardo asked from behind the blanket he was hiding under.

"Yes, Eduardo," Wilt assured him. "She's gone."

Eduardo peeked out from under the blanket. "Really?"

"Yes, Eduardo," Bloo insisted. "She really is gone. And do you mind getting off of my bed?"

"Oh, si, Azul. I get off your bed." He got off of Bloo's bunk. "Now we play checkers?"

"Checkers? I thought we were going to play monopoly. Not checkers!"

"Oh, si, gracias, Azul." Eduardo lowered his head. "I get easily confused."

"You can say that again."

"Oh, si, gracias, Azul. I get easily confused.

"Eduardo," Bloo said and laughed, "I didn't tell you to say it again. I just said that you could and apparently you could."

"Oh." Eduardo's face grew crimson red. "I see. Sorry 'bout that."

"Now does anyone know where the monopoly games is?" Wilt propped open the toy chest to check in there. "'cause it doesn't seem to be in here. Even though it is supposed to be."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Wilt," Bloo said. "That's the toy chest, not the game chest. Why would you want to keep a cardboard box in amongst all those pointy objects is beyond me."

"Oh right." Wilt slapped what would have been his forehead had he had one, but he didn't, did he? He just had two eyestalks, one of which was wonky, the result of a basketball mishap. "Frankie had told me all about that, didn't she?"

"How should I know, Wilt? I wasn't there at the time. I was too busy waiting for Mac to come."

-OOO-

"Say, this is a swell place and all," Babs said as they wrapped their tour of Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. "But I have to get back to my home in Acme Acres." She winced. "Oh, that's right. There's no such as Acme Acres, and I have never been there, have I?"

Frankie sighed. "No, you haven't." She knelt down and put on her arms around Babs. "I know it seems hard now, Babs. But just you wait and see. Things will get better."

Babs hoped that Frankie was right, but she didn't see how that was even possible. It seemed to her that the hurt would last forever. Tearfully she nodded. "Tomorrow is another day, eh?"

"Yes, that's right, Babs. You'll see."

Babs looked up with tears in her eyes. "Do I really have to be adopted if some kid wants me?"

"That is what we are here for. But don't you worry. We won't give you to anyone but the most loving of families for you." Babs's heart broke when she heard that. She wasn't a pet bunny. She was a toon, with real feelings that could easily be hurt. "You can trust us, Babs."

"I'm not a puppy!" she yelled before hopping away so that she could be alone in her sorrow.

-OOO-

Frankie watched her go, but she didn't follow. She knew better than just to follow an imaginary friend when she wanted to be alone. Though she probably shouldn't used the word 'give.' Babs certainly seemed to be suffering the illusion that she was a cartoon character. But she wasn't a cartoon character. She was a flesh and blood imaginary friend just like Eduardo, Coco, Mr. Herriman, Bloo, Wilt, and all the other imaginary friends that called Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends home. Frankie's grandmother had founded this foster home so that friends like Babs could find a new home to live in, and not just live in the past, like so many imaginary friends had done so before coming to live at Foster's. Madame Foster had even found Frankie a place to live after her mother had so mysteriously disappeared. Frankie wished Babs all the best of luck. She was going to need it.

Unfortunately, Frankie could provide with none.

Babs would have to find her own luck without Frankie's help.


	2. Babsy and Mac

Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends copyright Time-Warner

Tiny Toon Adventures copyright Amblin

Chapter 2: Babsy and Mac

Posted: 22 Mar 2007

It was incredible how fast your fortune can change while playing a board game. Especially one that was as involved as _Monopoly_. Before Bloo's astonished eyes, Wilt had steadily gone from dead last place to driving him to near bankruptcy despite Bloo's best efforts to stack the odds in his favor. "I'm sorry, Bloo," Wilt said, "but I'm just a better player than you are at this game. No hard feeling, right, Bloo?"

"Who? Me?" Bloo batted his eyes innocently.

Wilt looked at him intently, but seemed to take him for his word. "Well, okay. But Frankie told me to keep you out of trouble, and I'm sorry, but that's I exactly intend to do."

"But I never get into trouble!" Bloo protested.

Wilt looked back at him.

Bloo crossed his arms. "Well, okay. There were the one or two times, but that was all. I swear!"

Wilt rolled his eyes, but he let it pass. What bee got into his gym shorts? Bloo wondered.

"Si, this is so muy interesting," Eduardo said, "but it's your turn now, Azul."

"Yes, I am well aware of that, Eduardo," Bloo growled. "I don't need your help to tell whose turn it is."

"Ah, si, sorry, Azul."

"Are you going to just sit there yelling at Eduardo?" Wilt said. "Or are you going to take your next turn?"

Bloo shot him a glare. "I'm holding the dice here, Basketball boy. I _am_ taking my turn."

He raised his hand with the dice into the air and tossed them onto the floor. When they had finally settled down, Bloo was aghast. He had rolled a seven. Which placed him right on….

"Park Place, with the hotel, that comes to $2,000." Wilt held out his hand.

"But I haven't got that much!" Bloo exclaimed.

"Coco coco co." In other words, pay up or go bankrupt.

"What's it to you, birdie? It's not your hotel."

"Coco cococo co."

"Fine." Bloo tossed all his property cards into the air. "You win. I am bankrupt. I give up!" He got up and left the room. For some reason, he wanted to be somewhere else. It had absolutely had nothing to do with the fact that he had just lost.

There was a new game machine in the arcade that he wanted to try out. He had played every other game in that room, and he didn't want his record to be broken.

But Bloo caught a glance of the clock as he went to leave. Shouldn't Mac have been there by now? What was keeping him?

That was when Bloo noticed that Frankie was coming his way. Now what did she want? He gasped. Had she discovered the broken furnace? Because if she had….

"Bloo, there's something I forgot to tell you."

Bloo swallowed. Frankie _had_ discovered the broken furnace. And since she was always blaming him for these things…. "Yes, Frankie?"

"Mac is sick, so he's not coming over today. But don't worry, Bloo," she added when she saw the look on Bloo's face. "I cleared it with Mr. Herriman. You aren't put up for adoption."

But Bloo wasn't the slightest bit relieved that he wasn't about to given to the highest bidder. "You waited until this very moment to tell me that my bestest buddy in the whole, wide world isn't feeling well! How long had you known this?"

"Well…." Frankie began to avoid his gaze.

"How long, Frank-key?" Bloo clutched the hem of her skirt. "_How long_?"

Frankie thought about it. "It couldn't have been that long ago, Bloo. But don't worry about it. I'm sure that Mac will perfectly fine."

"It couldn't…. What's that supposed to mean? Don't you care about him at all?"

"Of course I do, Bloo. It's just that there's really nothing that we can do about it right now."

"But there has to be something," Bloo whined.

"Can it, Bloo. If you are so concerned about his well-being, then we don't you give him a visit?" Frankie didn't even give Bloo a chance to response before continuing on her way.

"Maybe I will," he said when Frankie was out of earshot. "Maybe I will."

-OOO-

Mac had slept through much of the day. He didn't feel like doing much of doing anything else. It wasn't very much fun being sick. Even if on a school day.

He hadn't even felt up to reading any of his comic books. Not even his favorite. That_ Powerpuff Girls_ one that Frankie had given him.

But he was feeling much better now. He could even sit up without feeling very dizzy. But for only short stretches of time, however. He still wasn't back to his old self again. And Terrence, his older brother, wasn't much help for him either. Mom had told him that he was supposed to take care of Mac while she was away at work. Only he didn't even give lip service to that task. Terrence left Mac in his room to rot for all he apparently cared. Fortunately Mac was used to that kind of treatment.

In fact, he was feeling so well that he picked up that _Powerpuff_ comic book and began reading. It was his favorite. Actually, it was his only one. It was the one where Blossom and Buttercup were fighting each other to see who would the best one to lead the girls. He had already read it many times before, but he wasn't going to let a little thing like that stop him. Somehow it reminded him of Frankie's arguments with Mr. Herriman.

But what was she doing just then? Did she miss him? Mac sure did miss her and everyone else at Foster's. Especially Bloo. He was his best friend, and in the old days, Bloo would cheer him up whenever he was sick. And now he was gone….

Mac sighed. At least things weren't getting any worse. Terrence wasn't picking on him. And Goo wasn't trying miserably to do what Bloo used to do. And, most importantly, he wasn't puking all over the place.

When he was finished reading the comic book, he turned on the TV and turned it to _Tiny Toons_. He laughed at their antics until the show was over. Then he turned the set off.

At least he didn't have Babs Bunny for an imaginary friend. Then his life would _really_ be nuts.

-OOO-

After she had found her new room, Babs studied her new roommates with keen interest. The two of them were a study in contrast. Honky, the larger of the two, rushed to meet her when she entered the room. He seemed to be big orange, fluffy ball of fur in greenish-blue overalls who seemed to be just bubbling over with fun. He even had a musical horn for a nose that he seemed to enjoy honking. She could see that was his name because he was wearing a nametag with it on his overalls. His roommate, on the other hand, sat in the corner, sulking. The little mouse looked gloomy. She had even a gloomy color. A very dark blue. Babs wondered what twist of fate put _them_ together.

Honky squeezed Babs in a big, massive bear hug when he met her at the door. "That's all right, Honky. I'm pleased to meet you too," Babs managed to get out.

Honky let go of her. "I'm sorry. But with Miss Gloomy here, life hasn't exactly been a bucket of sunshine."

Babs watched the sulking friend. "I see what you mean."

"Is there anything you could do to cheer her up, Babs?" He shrugged helplessly. "I'm all out of tricks."

"I'll see I can do," Babs assured him. Then she took in a deep breath and went to Miss Gloomy's bed, if that was in fact her real name, and sat down beside her. The mouse didn't look up. Babs wrapped her arm around the blue friend. "What seems to be the trouble, bucko?"

Miss Gloomy made no reply. She simply continued her sulking. Babs sighed. Why weren't things ever easy? But upon further reflection, she supposed if that were the case, life wouldn't any fun.

Maybe her kid had died. That was certainly something that Babs could relate to. Though it was probably not that, she reflected sadly. Kids rarely ever die these days. It was much more likely that her kids simply abandoned her. Babs had some idea of what that was like. Her kid's death felt like a kind of an abandonment. Babs wondered if Miss Gloomy here was feeling the same way about it. "Did your kid forgot all about you?"

"What kid?"

It seemed like such a simple question. But Babs didn't like the implications of it one bit. She would have never guessed that it _Miss Gloomy_ here that had forgotten her creator. "What do you mean, 'What kid?' The kid who had thought you up."

Miss Gloomy almost smiled. Almost. "But I wasn't imagined by a kid. I was imagined by an hundred-year-old woman."

"Oh."

Babs' mouth hung open. She hadn't thought that hundred-year-olds were thinking up imaginary friends. (Or even just remembering them from their childhoods, but that didn't seem to be the case here.) When Babs had sufficiently recovered her wits, she said, "Okay, is _she_ dead?"

"No."

That was quite the revelation for Babs, but it certainly didn't explain why Miss Gloomy was crying. She couldn't be this moody naturally. She just couldn't. Babs gasped. Miss Moody's creator must have just dropped her here at Foster's.

"Miss Moody?" When Babs felt that she got an affirmative response, she went on. "Where is this woman? And what are you doing _here_?"

Miss Moody didn't answer right away. She just continued to stare at the wall. But when Babs felt like giving up, she simply said, "She's in the nursing home now. They don't allow imaginary friends there."

"Oh. Oh, I see."

Now they were getting someplace.

-OOO-

When Goo heard that Mac was sick, she wanted to rush right on over. But she had promised her mother that she would help with the chores. After that was over was when she would rush right over. She promised herself that she would. After making of her mother's patented guaranteed-to-get-you-well-or-your-money-back chicken noodle soup of course.

Fortunately, washing the dishes was the last chore on the list. She just had three plates and some silverware left to rinse off. Then she would make Mac that soup. It was friends did for each other. They helped one another. And Mac had helped her with a thing or two in the past.

The phone rang.

"Mom! The phone!"

As her mother answered it, Goo finished rinsing the last of the dishes. Goo couldn't but help but listen in on her conservation. "Hello… Yes, she's here… What did you want with her…? Oh, I see." She handed to phone to Goo after the girl was done washing her hands. "It's Frankie, dear. She wants to talk with you."

"Oh." Goo took the phone. "Hello, Frankie. What did you want to talk to me about?"

"It's Mac, Goo. He's sick."

"Yes, I know, Frankie. His mother had called and told me all about it earlier. Do you think that her mother would be so thoughtless as to not tell Mac's friends that he was sick? She's not some kind of horrible monster."

"You're right, Goo," Frankie agreed. "But I wanted to give the heads-up."

Goo nodded, even though Frankie couldn't possibly see. "Thanks."

"No problem, Goo." She paused. "Should I tell him that you're coming over?"

"No. I want to surprise him."

"Do you mind if I tag along, Goo?"

"Not at all, Frankie. I would love for you to come along."

-OOO-

Babs went downstairs with Miss Moody in tow. There had to be somebody in this place who could cheer up a moody friend. Perhaps that nice Frankie lady was about. She seemed to know a thing or two about imaginary friends. Maybe that included how to cheer one up. Babs had tried every trick she had, and nothing seemed to have worked.

But where could Frankie be? It was a big house, with a lot of places to look for somebody. Hmm, where to start? She shrugged. She didn't know why, but the family room seemed like a good place to start. After all, it was just as good a place to look as anywhere else.

Plus, she knew where it was.

Poking her head in, she spotted a tall, red imaginary friend sitting on the couch, watching the TV. Babs remembered him from the tour. Maybe he could help her.

"Wilt, you seem to be an optimistic fellow," Babs said as she sat down next to him on the comfy couch. He seemed to be watching a basketball game on TV. The home team seemed to be winning. She surmised that that was the team that he was rooting for.

"Huh-huh."

"There is this friend of mine who's really depressed. Do you think that you could cheer her up?"

Wilt nodded. "I'll see what I can do to help."

"Thank you."

When Babs returned to her room with Wilt in tow, Miss Moody was still sitting on her bed, brooding. Honky was gone. Babs pointed the depressed friend. "Do you think you will need?"

Wilt smiled. "I'm sure that it won't be necessary."

Babs shrugged and sat on her own bed. "We'll see."

-OOO-

It was Goo who knocked first. Goo was just simply closer to the door to Mac's apartment. That was all. It certainly didn't mean that Frankie was less eager than Goo to see Mac.

It was a while before anyone answered Goo's knocking. But Mac's mom finally appeared at the door. She looked tired, but she smiled when she saw Frankie standing there. "Why, Frankie, what brings you by?"

"We have come by to see if Mac is any better. So can we come in?"

"We?" Her eyes widened when she saw Goo standing by the door. "Ah, I see." She nodded. "Yes. You can come in."

"Thank you, Mrs. Jonson," Goo said. "I'm sure he will be very surprised to see us."

Mrs. Jonson smiled warily as she let them in. "I'm sure he will be."

The living room was messier than when Frankie usually saw it. An old sweater was draped on the back off the couch, papers were piled up on the coffee table, and there were dust bunnies everywhere. Mac's illness must really have his mother worried. Frankie could sort of relate. There were friends at house who were sick all the time. Frankie could remember all the times that she had to take care of a sick imaginary friend. This must have been a very trying time for Mrs. Jonson. "Do you really think that he's well enough for visitors?" Frankie asked.

"Yes. If you're very quiet." She pointed a finger straight at Goo. "That means you."

"Me? What did I do?"

Mrs. Jonson lowered her gaze. "I'm sorry, Goo, but you're much too excitable."

Goo blushed. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Jonson. I'll try to keep my enthusiasm in check."

As quietly as they could manage, they went to Mac's door and peeked inside. He was sleeping as peacefully as a baby. Frankie sighed. She wished that she could sleep that peacefully when _she_ is sick too. She also was keeping an eye out on Goo. She had been known to go a little crazy when it was the least appropriate to do so.

Mrs. Jonson whispered, "He's asleep. Let's go wait in the living room."

-OOO-

Babs didn't really pay attention to Bloo's endless boastings about his creator at all. Babs' creator had been a thousand times cooler but you didn't hear her brag about her, nosirree.

Actually, Babs would have normally interrupted quickly during Bloo's monologue, but her mind was on other things. It seemed that, no matter how hard he tried, Wilt just didn't seem able to cheer Miss Moody up any. She was really depressed about something, and she won't say what it was. Eventually even Wilt seemed ready to give up.

Babs wasn't so ready to give up like that. There just had to be a way!

Miss Moody looked up, clearly annoyed with their efforts. "If you want to cheer me up so much, why don't you go get Mac?"

"Mac? Who the heck is Mac?"

-OOO-

"So is Mac getting better?" Frankie asked his mother, sipping from a Diet Coke. Mac hadn't looked very well when she had checked up on him. "I hope that he doesn't have the flu."

Mrs. Jonson shook her head. "No, it's just the common cold."

Frankie relaxed. "That's good to hear. I wouldn't want to think that something happened to the little guy."

"_Nobody_ wants that."

Frankie turned toward the door. She heard someone knocking. "I wonder who that could be."

Goo shrugged. "I don't know. Mac's dad?"

Mrs. Jonson shook her head as she got up to answer it. "No. It couldn't be. He's…. Never mind that. I will just see who it really is."

When Mrs. Jonson answered the door, Frankie could tell it defiantly wasn't Mr. Jonson. "Babs? What are you doing here?"

Babs peeked past Mrs. Jonson. "I waited to see Mac for something."

-OOO-

Mac had trouble getting to sleep all day long. He had a high fever and his throat was awfully sore. And when he managed to get some sleep, it wasn't for very long. He even had trouble telling the difference between dreams and reality. Most of his dreams seemed to involve the friends at Foster's for some reason. But he eventually was able to get some restful slumber.

But when he finally did wake up, and saw a pink bunny about his size sitting at the foot of his bed smiling at him, he began to wonder if he wasn't still dreaming. "Good morning, Mac," she said. "My name is Babs Bunny and I've been waiting all day to meet you."


	3. Babsy's Little Secret

Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends copyright Time-Warner

Tiny Toon Adventures copyright Viacom

Chapter 3: Babsy's Little Secret

Posted: 12 Jan 2008

"Are you really real?" he asked uncertainly.

Babs rolled her eyes. "Of course I am, Mac. You don't think I'm a hallucination or anything, do you?"

"Well…"

Babs planted her fists onto her hip. "Do I look like a hallucination to you?"

"I don't know. I have been having them off and on all day now."

"Look, kid, I'm sorry about your illness, but can't you just yourself feel better?"

He crossed his brow. "Hey, who are you anyway?"

"Haven't you heard of _Steven Spielberg presents Tiny Toon Adventures_?"

Mac found himself very confused. What the heck was this Tiny Toon show? Although he had heard of Steven Spielberg. Who hadn't? Unless there was a different guy name Steven Spielberg running around Hollywood that he should know about….

The imaginary friend took in a deep sigh. "I was afraid that you haven't heard of it."

Mac shrunk back. "Am I really that easy to read?"

"I'm afraid so, kid."

"Do you have to keep calling me 'kid'?"

"I'm sorry, Mac. What do you want me to call you?"

"Mac will be fine."

"Very well, Mac." She extended her hand toward him. "I'm Babs Bunny, host of TV's _Tiny Toon Adventures_. Pleased to meet you."

Mac shook his head. "No. I still haven't heard of it."

Babs sighed. "Can't say that I'm surprised." She looked up. "Say, what do you have?"

"Have?"

"Yeah, why are in bed there, sick, instead of fun with Bloo at the foster house there?"

"The foster house?"

Babs nodded. "I've your met imaginary friend there when I came there today."

"You have?"

"That's right, Mac. And he seems a little… odd. Where do you suppose he gets it from?"

Mac laughed bashfully. "I guess that he picked up some of Terrence's bad habits when I created him."

"Terrence?"

"Oh, he's my big mean, evil brother."

"I know what you mean, Mac. I have a big brother too, and he's a big pain to me too."

"So is this from the show or from your old home?"

"Ah. Good point." She patted Mac's knee. "Come on. Let's not talk about me. _You're_ the one who's sick here. Now how was your day?"

At first Mac wasn't so sure that he really wanted to share his day with this strange rabbit. But as Babs got him to share his woes, he began to really open up. He started by talking his big brother, and how Terrence had pile-drived him into his bed to get him up that morning, and went on from there.

The whole completely dreary story….

"I had the most rude awakening this morning when my mean older brother Terrence had come to get me out of bed this morning. He could have done it gently by splashing cold water into my face. But, no-o, he had to be a jerk. Do you know what did to me?"

"No. What did he to you that was so mean?"

"He pile-drived me into the bed to get me up."

"That's terrible!"

"I know! And I was already sick too!"

"You must have the worst brother in the world."

Mac nodded. "Yeah. Pretty much."

-OOO-

"So, Mrs. Jonson, just where is your imaginary friend now?"

She didn't answer. She stared back at Goo, who immediately felt just a tad bit uncomfortable. "Er… I'm sure that you haven't seen her in a while."

Mrs. Jonson looked straight in her eye. "If you don't mind, I'd rather talk about something else."

"Okay, Mrs. Jonson. But I'm sure that-"

Frankie laid her hand on Goo's arm. "Goo, I think that we should really change the subject right now, don't you?"

Goo, despite knowing exactly where Mrs. Jonson's old friend was, nodded. She after all was quite able to change subjects at the drop of a pen. She smiled. "What a lovely home you have here, Mrs. Jonson. Did you decorate it yourself?"

Mrs. Jonson shook her head. "No. Mac did that for me. He's such a wonderful boy. And such a wonderful decorating taste too."

"Yeah. I know what you mean, Mrs. Jonson," Frankie said, "He's such a help at the home. I don't know what I would do without him."

"But you had worked for years before Mac came. What did you do before that?"

"I somehow managed," she replied. Then she turned pensive. "But there seems to be a _lot_ more imaginary friends than there used to be. And I don't mean just the usual accumulation."

"Huh?" Goo might have had some inkling what Frankie was talking about, but she wasn't sure.

"Kids are thinking up new imaginary friends all the time, and they very, very rarely die. So of course they have a habit of piling up like dirty socks." She sighed. "And, unfortunately, kids are being forced to give up, or they simply tire of, their imaginary friends at earlier and earlier ages."

"Oh." Mrs. Jonson looked kind of pale. "I wasn't aware…."

Goo swallowed. She had been a little too liberal with her creating in the past. "And all the friends that I had thought up…?"

"They didn't help no," Frankie replied.

Goo sat there in silence while Mrs. Jonson continued the conversation. "Do you suppose there's another Goo out there?" Goo blushed. She hadn't imagined that there might be others like herself. But she now supposed there must be. Now that she thought about it.

She couldn't possibly be the only little girl in the world with an over-active imagination. There had to be another one like her somewhere in the world. She just couldn't be the only one!

Goo was so lost in her thoughts that she almost missed Frankie getting up to leave the room. "Could you show me where the bathroom is, Mrs. Jonson?"

Mrs. Jonson smiled and pointed down the hallway. "It's the second door on the left, dear."

Frankie nodded. "Thank you." Then she proceeded down the hall.

After Frankie had left, Goo sucked on her lower lip. "So when do you think that Mac would be ready to see us?"

-OOO-

When Mac finished with his tale, he found Babs fast asleep on the foot of his bed. He sighed. It wasn't the first time that somebody had fallen asleep while listening to one of his stories. But he still found it quite rude.

And he just couldn't believe that his story had been that boring.

But he let her sleep. She looked kinda cute lying there like that. Bloo had never looked quite as cute as cute when he slept. Of course Mac was Bloo's best friend in the whole world, so he was unlikely to think of him in such terms. He knew him far too well.

Mac felt a little better, so he felt enough to get up to get a glass of water from the bathroom. He felt a little dizzy after getting out of bed, but it wasn't too bad, so he didn't think that he needed to go back to bed.

But as he drew closer to the sink in the bathroom, his dizziness was getting worse. He wondered if going to the bathroom like this might have been a mistake.

But that feeling quickly passed. So he continued to the bathroom.

He didn't make it to the sink.

He immediately went straight for the toilet. Where he barfed right into it. It turned out that Mom had been right about the chicken noodle soup. Dry heaves would have been just awful.

He felt so awful that he almost didn't notice his mother's loving touch on his back. He looked back in gratitude. But he found out that it wasn't his mother that was with him.

It was Frankie. "Are you feeling better, champ?"

Mac looked at her in wonder. Are you feeling better, champ? That was what his mother would ask him when he had just vomited into the toilet. Weird. Comforting, but weird.

He nodded.

"That's good," Frankie smiled. "Now let's get you back to bed, shall we?"

"But I feel much better now, Frankie. Really."

"We'll just have to see what your mother has to say about that."

Mac acquiesced, even though he really did feel better. Throwing up had really settled down his upset stomach. But he went to bed because Frankie had insisted so.

As Mac drifted off back to sleep, he began to wonder if he had made some kind huge mistake….

Just a moment later, he was wakened up. He didn't want to get. He had just gone to sleep a second ago. But when he felt a pair of comforting lips touch his forehead, he opened his eyes. His mother had just kissed him on the forehead to check his temperature. She looked pleased with the results. "Oh good. The fever has gone down. You would be back to normal an ready to get back to school in the morning, honey."

"But that's what I told Frankie, mom." Just not in so many words.

"Who's your little friend, Mac?" she asked, referring to Babs, who was still asleep at the foot of his bed.

"Oh this is Babs Bunny, mom. She's an imaginary friend."

Mom nodded. "That's nice, dear. Now you wait here while mommy gets you a glass of water, sweetie." She kissed him on the forehead a second time.

"Thank you, mom."

"But of course, honey."

Goo appeared at Mac's door. "Is everything all right in here?"

"It sure is, Goo. It sure is." Mac smiled, in spite of himself.

-OOO-

Now where on earth is that girl! Mr. Herriman hopped up and down the corridors of the house looking for Frankie so that he could remind her of her duties. Nobody had seen her in the past half-hour. And the kitchen was simply dreadful. He had never seen such a mess ever in his life. And he had lived almost as long as the Madam herself had.

Now this wasn't to look good on my Miss Frances's record. Not good at all. He hoped that she could appreciate that fact.

Mr. Herriman soon found Eduardo talking with Jackie Khones in the hallway. Jackie Khones was the short one with the one eye. Yes, that was right. Jackie Knones.

"Have either of you two seen Miss Frances around here?" he asked them.

"No, we haven't, Senor Herriman."

Mr. Herriman stomped his foot in frustration. "I have looking for her everywhere, and I haven't seen hide or hair of her anywhere."

"I've seen her," Jackie informed him. "She went to visit Mac with Goo."

"What? She went to visit friends when she knows she has so many chores that need be to done!"

Jackie shrugged. "Don't look at me, man! I didn't do it."

"I'm a quite aware of what he did and didn't do, Master Jackie," Mr. Herriman replied. "Now would you be kind of enough to point out where Master Mac abides, and I will be on my way."

Jackie rolled his one and only eye. "Jeez, I would thought by now everyone would know where he lives."

"Never mind the social commentary and just tell me where he lives already!"

Jackie told him.

-OOO-

They had dinner in Mac's room.

Mrs. Jonson had ordered out for Chinese, and they had all brought in chairs and were sitting around Mac's bed, as his mother didn't want him to be moved. Mac had insisted he was well enough to get out of bed, but his mother disagreed. But despite his feelings on the matter, Mac hadn't argued. Mac usually lost whenever he argued with his mother.

And she usually proved out to be right.

As Mac picked at his sweet and sour chicken with his chopsticks, he wondered if he were still dreaming. Goo, Frankie, and his mother were all in the same room at same time. Nothing good could from this, he knew. Especially if Terrence should come home and find them like this….

The phone rang. And Mrs. Jonson answered it. Even though it was Mac's room, it was still her apartment. "Hello, Jonson residence… Oh, hello, Mr. Herriman… Yes, she's here… Ah, I see." She handed the phone to Frankie. "He sounds pretty upset with you."

Frankie rolled her eyes. "Yeah. I know." She accepted the phone. "Oh hi, Mr. H… What do you mean I haven't left the house without leaving word? I left a note… On the refrigerator, Mr. H…" She sighed. "All right. I'm coming right over."

Babs leaned closer to Mac and whispered into his ear. "Why don't you imagine yourself well?"

"Excuse me?"

But before she could answer, Mrs. Jonson tensed up all of a sudden. "Has anyone seen Terrence?"

Nobody could say that they had.

She glanced toward the door. "He's been gone for far too long. It's starting to get me worried. Do you suppose that something has happened to him?"

Frankie, putting her plate on her chair as she stood up, shook her head. "No, I don't think so. After all what could happen? It's perfectly safe neighborhood for pity's sake."

Mrs. Jonson watched the moonrise. "You would think that, wouldn't you?"

Mac thought that Terrence was perfectly safe but didn't say anything, as he didn't want to give the mistaken impression that he actually cared for his older brother. Because he didn't.

Babs shrugged. "Why worry? He's a teenager, right?"

"Huh-uh." Mrs. Jonson nodded.

"Then he can take care of himself."

"I'm not so sure about that…."

-OOO-

Terrence just didn't get how he could have gotten so lost so quickly. He had followed the directions he had gotten from the dork to the letter.

He had always known that Andrew Poindexter was lousy with directions. And now Terrence had proof of that. Not that he was happy with the realization. Far from it in fact.

Although asking him for directions in the first place had probably been a mistake. Poindexter had been watching some lame cartoons at the time. Like the big, fat dork that he was. But Terrence had already hardly had in choice in the matter really. He really had to get to that party, and only Poindexter knew where it was being held and, more importantly, was willing to tell Terrence.

It hadn't occurred to Terrence to simply call Poindexter. Terrence never made it a regular to actually think about anything. Whenever he wanted to do something, he just did it.

He jumped when he felt something tap his shoulder. His heart nearly leapt out of his throat. "Dang it. If you're looking for a handout, then you're looking for the beating of your life!"

He turned around to see who had just tapped him on the shoulder. And to give him a pounding.

But it turned out to be a little girl in girly girl overalls and a pink shirt. She didn't seem to believe him. Probably because she was a girl. Terrence didn't think much of girls. In either sense of the phrase.

"Beat it, kid. Before I really get mad."

"But why would you get mad?"

"I'm pretty mad already."

"Oh."

Terrence realized something. "Shouldn't you be home in bed?"

"I guess so. Why?"

He turned around and stormed off. Obviously continuing to talk to this girl wasn't going to achieve anything.

But of the corner of his eye, he noticed that the girl hurrying to catch up with him.

He stopped.

"What is it that you want already?" Terrence huffed.

She smiled. "Hi. My name is Sally Winters. I'm looking for my imaginary friend. Perhaps you've seen her.

"Her name is Babs Bunny."


	4. Babsy’s Kid

Foster's Home copyright Time Warner

Foster's Home copyright Time Warner

Tiny Toon Adventures copyright Amblin

Chapter 4: Babsy's Kid

Posted: 22 Jul 2008

"Now why would I know a stupid imaginary friend with a stupid name like that anyway?" Terrence bellowed.

"I don't know, mister. I was just hoping that you've seen her."

"Well I haven't. So just leave me the heck alone already." After he gave the little girl a proper sneer, he broke into a run to get away from her as far and as quickly as possible. He had enough nonsense from little brats like her to last him a week. But he couldn't have beat her up though.

But she was just a girl. So he couldn't hit her. No matter how hard he wanted to. Which he hated to do very much.

He didn't seem to be able shake her off however.

"Stop following me!" he yelled and he didn't slow his pace any. This girl was starting to be quite the nuisance. He might have to do something about her.

"But you hang out with imaginary friend, mister. I've seen with a giant purple one with great, big horns. So I figured that you knew where Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends was."

_That_ got him to stop. "Don't be stupid. Do I look like somebody who would hang out with a bunch of stupid imaginary friends, stupid?"

That brat shrugged. "How should I know? I don't know that many teenagers."

Terrence snorted. "Of course you don't." He turned his attention back to the little twerp. "If I promise to take you to this place for stupid imaginary friends, do you promise to leave me the heck alone."

With grateful eyes, she nodded that she would.

"Good. I'm keeping you to that, you know."

She smiled. "Yeah. I know."

"Brat." But Terrence had spoken that so softly that he wasn't entirely sure that she had heard him.

-OOO-

Babs shrugged. "Hey, what's the worst that can happen?"

"He can pick up a stray, little girl looking an older man to look up to," Mrs. Jonson replied.

"Does that really happen?"

"More often than you would think."

"Oh? And what does he do with the girls that he bring home?"

"Be nice to them," Mac said suddenly. And sullenly. "Terrence wants a baby sister. He had always wanted a baby sister."

"Huh." Babs stared at a photo of someone who could only be Terrence. He was the only one in the picture she couldn't recognize. "Since when?"

"Since when I was born."

"Oh."

Nobody spoke for a long, long while. Babs wasn't one to sit there quietly, but not even her felt much like saying anything just then. It seemed that she had hit on a really sentisive subject with them, and it wasn't very often that she would even notice such a thing happening. She was usually too busy doing her shtick.

But eventually the silence was broken by the phone ringing. Mrs. Jonson went ahead and answered it. "Hello," she ventured after she picked it up. "Yes, she's here. Shall I put her on?"

She nodded. And handed the phone to Frankie. "Frankie, your boss wants a word with you."

"Oh really?" Frankie said as she took it from her hand. "What does he want?"

"It sounded like something about you leaving the premises without permission again."

"I left a message for him telling where I was and what I was doing there. What more could he want?" She answered the phone call. "Yeah. What do you want?"

As Frankie continued her conversation with the rabbit back home, Babs leaned in toward Goo. "What's with you? You haven't said a thing in ages."

It was about then that Babs noticed that Goo was fast asleep in her arms. "Does this sort of thing happen often?" Babs wondered.

"More often than you would think." Frankie had a break in her little discussion with Mr. Herriman. "She must have gotten overexcited and dozed off. Don't worry. It happens all the time."

"It does?"

"Oh sure. She-" But then Frankie had to return to her phone call, leaving herself out of everyone else's discussion.

And Mac had to finish for her. "She often burns herself from overexcitement."

"Really?"

Mac shook his head. "No. Not really."

"Ah."

Frankie ended her phone call. She didn't look too happy. "I'm sorry, guys, but I have to go back now. The _rabbit_ is lost without me."

"Ahem!"

"I'm sorry, Babs. I meant the _other_ rabbit."

"That's all right, Frankie. I quite understand." Babs stood and bowed to Mrs. Jonson. "I'm sorry that my visit was so short, but it seems that we have to go now."

"And you haven't even met my other son yet."

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure that we will get our chance to meet."

From somewhere in the bowels of the living, they could hear the front door open. "Mom! I'm home."

"I'm in here, honey!"

"Okay, mom!"

Mrs. Jonson's brow furrowed. "Terrence is home. And he bought another girl with her."

"Huh," Babs said. "I wonder what this one is like."

Frankie frowned. "I'm sorry, Babs. But we have to go. Now."

"But why? What's the hurry? Can't we stay a few minutes longer."

"I'm afraid not, squirt. It seems that Mr. Herriman can't get the pickle jar open."

"Pickle jar? What pickle jar?"

Terrence trounced into the room. "Who are these people? What are they doing here?"

Babs winched when she heard the squeal. "Babsy! I've finally found you!"

-OOO-

"I'm sorry, Mr. H. I don't think that this jar _can_ be opened."

"Of course it can. All pickle jars can be opened. It just wouldn't be proper to sell jars that can't be opened, now would it?"

"No, I guess not," Wilt said sheepishly.

Meanwhile Mr. Herriman continued to try to get the pickle jar opened. Unsuccessfully. And it didn't appear that he was giving up any time soon. "Frankie had better get here soon, or I just **lose my temper**!"

"I'm sorry for wasting your time, Mr. Herriman." Wilt began slowly backing away. "I'll just see what Eduardo and Coco are up to." He left.

-OOO-

Babs nodded. "You're right, Frankie. It _is_ time to leave."

"But why, Babs?" The girl whined. "Don't you want you want to see me?"

"Nope." Babs lifted her nose into the air.

"Why not?"

"You're not my kid."

"But Kathryn went to heaven, Babs. You're my imaginary friend now."

"Not if I don't want to be your friend," Babs countered.

And without another word, she left with Frankie.

Anna started to head after her, but Mrs. Jonson placed her hand on her shoulder. "Just give her some time to adjust. This must be very traumatic for her."

"But she had two years to adjust already!"

"Well some people need more time to adjust than others."

"How can you say that, Mrs. Jonson? You don't even know what I'm going through!"

"Actually you would be surprised about that…."

-OOO-

When Wilt backed himself out of the kitchen, he immediately bumped into someone. "I'm sorry. I should have been looking where I was going."

"Oh, Wilt, you apologize too much."

Frankie's laugh was quite infectious. Soon Wilt was caught up in it too. "I'm sorry. But I still don't see what's so funny."

"Oh… I think it might have been something I said." Babs smiled. "Don't worry about it. I get that sort of thing all the time."

"You do?"

"Sure do."

"Doesn't that get a tiring sometimes?"

"No. Why should it?" Babs shrugged. "It's my job to make people to laugh."

"Ah. I see." He turned to Frankie. "Mr. Herriman is still in the kitchen trying to open up the pickle jar."

"Yes, I know," she sighed before heading into the kitchen.

While Wilt went upstairs.

-OOO-

Mr. Herriman harrumphed when he saw Frankie enter the kitchen. Frankie rolled her eyes. "Yes, I know, Mr. H. Open the pickle jar for you." Which she proceeded to do. With no problems whatsoever. Once the jar was open, Frankie regarded closely. "Okay. What was the _real_ answer that you have called me here? I know perfectly well that you can open jars without any help from me."

"Of course not, Miss Frances. It's just this particular jar was… unusually stubborn when I tried to open it."

"Huh-uh."

"Yes, that's right. And don't let anyone tell you anything different."

"Including myself?"

"Especially yourself." Mr. Herriman adjusted his coat. "But now that you're here, Miss Frances, there's something very important that I need to discuss with you. It concerns out latest resident here."

Frankie leaned her head to the side. "Oh?"

"Now pay attention, Miss Frances. This is very important."

Frankie listened.

And didn't like what she heard at all.

-OOO-

Babs was sitting on her new bed, moping. Everything had been going along perfectly well until _she_ showed up. Why did she always have to mess everything up anyway? Whatever had Babs have ever done to her to deserve _this_?

She was still moping when a knock came from the door. She dried her tears with her sleeve. "Yes? What is it?"

"Can I come in?" It was Frankie.

"Sure," Babs said. "Why not?"

The door opened and Frankie came in. "Do you need anything, Babs?"

She shook her head. "Not right now."

"Well you know where I will be if you do." Frankie started to leave, but Babs stopped her with a single word.

"Wait."

"What is it, squirt?"

"Anna's not my kid. Kathryn is."

"But I thought you said that Kathryn was dead," Frankie wondered.

Babs looked up at her with hurt eyes. "But is that any reason why she still couldn't be my kid?"

"Well… that's usually how it works out."

"Not in my book, sister!"

Frankie sighed. "I suppose you could still love her. But wouldn't you would be a little lonely?"

Babs shook her head.

"Oh? And why is that?"

Babs wouldn't answer that question.

Frankie nodded. "Okay. I understand." She stood up. "If you need me, just give me a jingle, okay." She rang the little bell.

Babs nodded back and smiled. "Okay."

Frankie left the room. And so now Babs was all alone in her room.

But that was all right. Babs was used to being alone. She hadn't had very many friends beside Kathryn. She hadn't even met other imaginary friends that had been based what kids had seen on _Tiny Toons_. So she wasn't very good at making new friends.

Even if they are as wonderful as Frankie or Mac.

She got up. She had things that needed to be done.

She just wasn't sure what they were yet….

-OOO-

Mac was sleeping like a doll.

He still had _his_ imaginary friend, his mother reflected.

She ran her fingers through his hair. Why couldn't she have stood up to her mother when she was his age? She missed Honky just about every day. It had seemed so natural letting him go. But now….

Why is that you only come up with solutions to these problems until well after the moment had passed? So many troubles in her life could have been avoided if only she had listened to her heart. She would still have her husband if only she had been more trusting. And she still would still have Honky if she had a little more backbone. She should have listened to her heart. Instead she had listened to her mother, got rid of Honky and eventually tried to make Mac abandon _his_ friend.

She sighed. What a mess she had made of everything.

She kissed Mac on the forehead and left his room. One way or another she was going to make it up to him.

-OOO-

Anna lay on her bed, still unable to get to sleep. Was Babs having as much trouble falling asleep as she was? Why was Babs so dead set against being her friend? Was there any way of finding out?

She sat up. Might as well give into the inevitable.

She switched on the lamp on the nightstand by her bed. Once she had light she reached for the Harry Potter that she was reading. _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows_. It was third time that she read the book. But she didn't mind. It wasn't like it sucked or anything. She was sure that she could read it seventeen more times before she got tired of it.

Unfortunately she barely got through the first sentence before her phone rang. "Hello?"

"May I speak to Anna Anderson?" The voice sounded kinda familiar, but Anna couldn't quite place it.

"Yes." She paused a moment before saying, "You're already speaking to her."

"Ah! That's good. I've tried three numbers already. I was beginning to give up hope."

"Yeah. But what do you want _me_ for?"

"You know a certain Mac and his mother, don't you?"

"Not really. We just met." Anna shrugged, though she was quite sure that he couldn't see her. "Why do you ask?"

"I think she's my former kid."

"Ah." When she didn't hear him reply, she asked, "What makes you think so?"

He explained. Anna didn't think it was so convincing but didn't interrupt into he was finished. Even then she still didn't poke any holes in his arguments. If he said that Mrs. Jonson was his kid, then she must have been his kid. Heaven knew that she couldn't convince _her_ friend that _she_ was in fact Anna's friend. "Okay, what do you want me to do?"

After he explained what he wanted her to do, Anna nodded. "I understand."

"So will you do it?"

"Sounds like fun. When do you want me to start?"

-OOO-

Mrs. Jonson didn't feel too whoopee that morning, so she let Mac make the coffee. He was so helpful. He was always looking for ways to make her mornings easier. But she usually wanted to make the coffee. It was a usual part of her usual morning ritual. But today she was feeling a little frazzled. Things were just getting too hectic at work for her. You would think that, barring the rare robbery, being a bank teller would be the easiest job in the world. Boy, did she know that wasn't so. She had to deal with pushy patrons. And her boss was a real jackass. He even looked like one too. But just because the man resembled a barnyard animal, was that any reason to behave like one? Today was her quarterly review.

Not exactly something that she was looking forward to.

"Terrence," she called down the hall, "your breakfast is getting cold!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Terrence called back. "I'm coming!"

"I wish that he wouldn't do that," she commented as she filled her cup with coffee. She sighed. "It reminds me too much of his father."

"What was that?" Mac wondered. He was already sitting at the table, already eating his. Unlike his brother, who had yet to make an appearance.

Mrs. Jonson shook her head. "It's nothing."

"O-kay." Mac gave her a funny look but didn't press the issue.

Terrence came out. And he didn't look like his usual, cheery self. "What's wrong, sweetie? You look like you have seen your ghost."

When he hadn't answered, she was afraid that he _did_ see his ghost. But at long last he did speak. "I didn't get any sleep last night."

"What's worrying you, honey?"

"Nothing that I can't handle, mom."

"Are you sure?"

Terrence nodded.

"That's good." She pulled out a chair in front of a plate filled with bacon and eggs. "Come on, honey. Your breakfast is getting cold."

He shook his head. "No thanks. I'm getting something on the way." He left without saying goodbye.

"There's gratitude for you," Mac said sullenly.

"Don't worry about it, Mac. I'm sure that his reasons." And I'm sure that they involve that girl had came to visit last night.

The phone rang.

"I wonder who would be calling at this time of morning," she wondered aloud as she answered. Mac shrugged. "You've reached the Jonsons. Who might this be?"

"Hello, Maggie," the voice said. "It's your old imaginary friend. Honky!"


	5. Babsy Helps a Friend

Foster's Home copyright Time Warner

Tiny Toon Adventures copyright Amblin

Chapter 5: Babsy Helps a Friend

Posted: 11 Sep 2012

As Terrence walked along the sidewalk toward school, he didn't know if he wanted to see Anna again or not. He was doing his best to not think about it. But she seemed to be the perfect little sister. For him anyway. But there was no way that Mom was ever going to adopt her. She had already had two mouths to feed or something already.

It was all that stupid Mac's fault. Terrence was willing to bet a month's worth of allowance that Mac had been born into this world just to make his life a living hell.

In the fifteen minutes it took for him to get to school he failed to come up with a plan to deal with the little girl. What do people do with little ducks that follow them everywhere they go? That particular bit of information seemed awfully useful about then.

No matter. He had to get through the day before he could actually do anything more about that. He had learned long ago that thinking too much didn't usually help.

"Terrence, what's wrong?" Mrs. Hollier was hovering over his desk, worry filling her pretty face.

"Nothing."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Okay." She didn't seem very convinced though. If this continued for much longer than he would have to come up with a really big one. "If you need anything, you know where to me."

"I know. I know." Terrence watched her hips swivel as she went to another student's desk. Geeze! What was that all about? Was there some kind of conspiracy of girls and women that he should know about?

He noticed the note on his desk but didn't bother to read it. It was probably a love note. Romance was hardly something he needed about then.

He had bigger problems to worry about. Namely how he was going to replace Mac with Anna?

-OOO-

Mac was getting the feeling that there was a great deal going on around him that he didn't have the slightest clue about. It wasn't an unfamiliar feeling by now though, but hardly one he could get really used to. Why don't people ever really tell us little kids what's going on? He wondered.

At least the day had started without too many problems. Terrence would often storm out of the apartment without saying a word. Not that Mac ever cared what his older brother did. All he ever did was be mean to him. Terrence never cared about him, so should he care about him?

"Can I borrow a pencil?" Megan, the redheaded girl who sat next to him in class, leaned toward his desk.

Mac's throat refused to work of him. The last thing that he had been expecting was Megan Hills speaking to him, asking to borrow his pencil.

It took a whole five seconds before Mac got the nerve to hand his pencil over. Even then he did it without saying a word. "Thank you," Megan whispered.

Mac just nodded. He was too tongue-tied to say enough more than that. Megan was the prettiest girl in class, and he felt a bit awkward around pretty faces. Hers most of all.

"I hear you have a problem with a certain brunette?"

"Brunette?"

"A girl with dark hair, Mac."

"Yeah. I knew that." Mac sighed. "I suppose so." Though it wasn't exactly _his_ problem. It was Terrence's. _He_ can deal with her. Megan was a nice enough girl, but that was still no reason to share his family's problems with a perfect stranger. No how pretty and redheaded she was.

Though it was nice that he had just learned a neat word like _brunette_. It was always good to learn new ways to compliment pretty ladies.

Too bad there weren't any in his class.

What a sec! Where had Megan gone off to? She had just been there a second ago.

Just great. He had just been daydreaming about her again. And she had only transferred to the school the week before. But that had been when it had happened. The day he had fallen in love with Megan Hills.

He raised his hand. "Ma'am?"

Mrs. Lamprey looked away from the map unrolled over the chalkboard. "Yes, Mac?"

"Do you know where Megan is?"

"She had to go to the ladies' room." The teacher went back to the lesson.

"Oh."

"Daydreaming again, eh?" The redheaded boy with freckles jeered. "Thinking about imaginary friends, eh?"

"Steven! Eyes up front!"

"But, Miss Lamprey, Mac-"

"Mac raised his hand first." Steven began to raise his hand. "And no I'm not going to give you permission to tease the other students."

He retracted his hand.

Mac began to relax. Steven hadn't even gotten close to the real reason that he had been daydreaming more often as of late. The teasing would be even worse if Steven would find out that Mac had a crush on the daughter of the richest landowner in town. There would be no end to it then.

When Megan returned from the restroom the period was practically over. Mrs. Lamprey had already moved on to the next subject. Geography. Not exactly Mac's favorite. He had a hard enough time paying attention without Megan's pretty face to distract him.

What was to be done about his growing crush on her?

The redhead that Mac had his _real _crush on was in entirely different league.

-OOO-

Anna filled in the little circles on the scantron while barely looking at the questions. Then she remembered that she was supposed to be taking this test a little more seriously than that and began to check over her answers to see if they're actually right. They were. But that was hardly the point. She was supposed to take tests seriously if she ever wanted into one of the _good_ colleges. Which she did.

None too soon she finished filling in all the circles on her test. With that accomplished she could finally breath a sigh of relief.

But she just couldn't keep her thoughts away from Babs. Not that she was trying all that hard to begin with. Babs was just too important to her.

Just what was she doing in an awful place like that?

That place is so… common. Babs deserved to live in a place better. A place like the Anderson estate. Where she could roam, romp and basically be herself.

Not someplace where she had to share to bathroom space. With anyone.

Babs just had to get it through her thick skull that a foster home was no place for a sophisticated lady like herself.

-OOO-

Babs was a rabbit on a mission. (Or at least that was what she told herself.) While she didn't know what she needed to do, she was quite confident that she would figure it out when the time came. That was how her life had worked out so far. And experience hadn't let her down yet.

And she wasn't going to let Frankie stopped her, no matter how well-intentioned she may be.

With a full breakfast in her and two of her newfound friends in tow, she hopped toward the candy store, where everyone's happiness lay. Especially little kids. She just loved to entertain them. Fortunately she was also very good at that sort of thing. It was the very thing she had been created for after all.

And there was sure to be a whole gaggle of them waiting in front.

"I like candy," Eduardo was saying behind her. "I like candy. I like can-"

"We're all well aware of that fact, Eduardo," Bloo observed wryly. "You don't need to repeat it every two seconds."

"But I really do like candy."

"Yes. We know."

"Well now you both can be satisfied," Babs said. "We're here."

The candy store was named the Candy Shack and seemed to be a big hit among the neighborhood kids. Exactly the sort of place to wait for Kathy. Surely she would come. It was exactly the kind of place she reveled in. Candy stores were the number one hangout spot for children everywhere.

Babs and her entourage had no trouble getting into the store though. There was nary a kid in sight. It was the same story inside. "Where is everybody?" she wondered as she perused the aisles.

A woman putting boxes of jellybeans onto the self sighed. "It's been like this all day long. I don't why though. It _is_ a school day."

"Oh. Right." Drat! She really should have really realized that it was a school day. How could she be so forgetful? It was so unlike her! And it was Wednesday too.

"A fine mess that you led us into here, sister!" Bloo didn't look like he was very happy with Babs just then. Even for him. "We're stuck in this stupid candy store and we don't have anything _to do!_"

"We can always buy candy," Babs said, shrugging.

"But we don't have any money!"

"Oh. Right. That."

"What? No candy?" Eduardo mewled. "But Babs, you promised us lots of candy if we came with you."

Babs grinned sheepishly. "I was kinda hoping that someone I knew would be here." She mulled over it. "Let's just wait here. I'm sure that she will be along shortly. And she will have enough money to get candy for all us. I'm sure of it."

Eduardo began to breath a little easier. "Gracious, senorita Babs. I so glad to hear that."

"Yeah right," retorted Bloo. "I bet that this girl that this crazy rabbit is talking doesn't exist and she's just making her up."

"Well that's just rude!"

Bloo headed for the door. "I'm going back home." He stopped upon coming to it. "Eduardo, you coming too?"

Eduardo opened his mouth before catching a glimpse from Babs. "No. I think I'll stay here for the time being."

"Some help _you_ turned out to be." Bloo left in a huff.

"We go too?" the big purple monster wondered.

Babs glanced at the clock. It was 10:30. "Let's just wait. She might just show up yet."

"Who? A kid you met at school?"

"Not anymore, Eduardo," Babs said softly. "Not anymore."

-OOO-

"Wilt, have you seen Babs anywhere?"

"Sorry, Frankie. I haven't." He frowned as he took his laundry out of the dryer. "Is there anything wrong, Frankie?"

"No. I'm sure that it's nothing." At least Frankie _hoped_ that nothing was wrong. But there a few problems with the new friend. She was so hyperactive. Who knew what sort of trouble the little bunny was up to? Where had that bunny gone off to?

Hopefully she was still in the house.

Otherwise she might be neigh well impossible to find. And with that girl looking for her….

"I'm sorry, Frankie, if I couldn't have been of more help for you."

"No, that's okay. It's nothing, so you don't actually need to do anything for me."

"You sure, Frankie?" Wilt didn't seem too confident about it just them.

"Yeah. I'm sure."

"That's good."

Wait a minute! A good friend willing to help her and she was turning him down? What was she thinking? "On second thought. You could help me look for her."

They searched the entire house for the pink bunny. They searched through every floor, every hallway, and every room, and every closet. In not one of them did they find Babs Bunny.

That left the grounds. They would have to look outside. "I'm sorry, Frankie, but the outside of the house covers a lot more space than the inside does."

Frankie sighed. "I know. I know. You start the search outside while I get some help."

"All right."

Frankie thanked him as she ran out the front door.

With Babs' little habit who knew what kind of mischief she could get into?

-OOO-

Mac only pretended to laugh at Jefferey's joke. He hadn't even been paying all that much attention to the joke in the first place. And had no idea whether or not it was even funny. But it would have been rude not to have laughed. So he did. Or did his best at faking it. Thoughts of Megan were taking up more and more of his time lately.

Jefferey didn't seem to notice either way. "It was pretty, wasn't it? I've been trying to come up with new material."

"Yeah, it's pretty new all right."Or at least it had _seemed_ new. But how would he know? He never paid any attention.

Jefferey grinned. "New for me at any rate." He looked away. "That's weird."

"What's weird?"

"It's Anna. And she's coming this way. She never comes this way."

Sure enough Anna Anderson was headed in their direction. Mac couldn't believe that she was headed _toward_ them. She must have been passing by them. Yes that must have been it. She was passing by them to get someplace else. He didn't know where, but that wasn't the point. Only...

She did stop behind them. "Mac, I have something to say to you!"

Mac gulped. This can't possibly be any good. "Oh?" he asked as causally as he could.

"Yes. I do." She looked at Mac's friend. "Are you still here?"

Jefferey nodded. It looked like he wanted to say something, but he didn't seem to come up with anything.

Anna ignored him."You know Babs Bunny, right?"

"A little." Mac was starting to sweat a little. What did this girl want from him?

"She's my imaginary friend."

"Yes." He was already well aware of that fact. Why repeat it? "Why?"

"She lives at your house, doesn't she?"

"No, she lives at Foster's?"

"Foster's? What's Foster's?"

Mac sighed. Another person who hadn't heard of Foster's. They're more common than they should be. "It's Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. I can show you where it is after school."

Anna stuck her face in Mac's. "Then do so." She turned around and walked away without saying another word.

"Dude," Jefferey said after she left, "you know where Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends is?"

"Yes. Yes I do."

"Ah, could I join you two after school. I'm thinking of getting an imaginary friend myself."

"Yeah, sure."

Mac continued eating his lunch in silence. Anna had given him a lot to think about. There was one thing he learned from that conversation though.

He could see why Babs didn't like Anna very much.

-OOO-

Babs had eventually realized that she had been wasting her time. There was no way that Kathryn was going to show up at this candy store. She jumped down from the stool she had been standing on. "Come on, Eduardo. Let's get home."

"But what about your kid, Babs?"

"She's not showing."

"Showing? Showing what?"

"You know? Appearing?"

"Ah, _s__í_. I see." He frowned. "Who were we waiting for?"

"It doesn't matter anymore. She isn't coming."

They left the store and started making their way back home. But just because they left the store doesn't mean that the conversation was over. "So, Edward, what brings you to Foster's?"

"I no have friend. I stay until I find one." A beat later. "And call me Eduardo. Is my name."

"Well you can _me_ Babs. That's _my_ name."

"Okay." They passed by a mail box in silence. "Wait. I already know that."

"Yes yes. Everyone in the world knows who I am." She paused. "I think."

Several minutes passed before Babs noticed that they were being followed. She continued walking forward, hoping that whoever was following them would just give up and stop following them.

When it became clear that he, they are always a _he_, wasn't going to, she abruptly stopped and faced her stalker. "Who goes there?"

"It's me, Babs. Mac."

Babs began to feel a little silly. Not only was it not a stranger following her, he was also at least ten feet behind Eduardo. Who looked like he could take a punch better than Babs could.

"Ah! Is someone behind us!" Babs sighed. Oh well. So much for _that_ assessment. "Oh, hi Mac."

"Hi, Eduardo. What brings you two out here?"

"Oh we just on a little quest," Babs said dismissively.

"There you are!"

Babs winched. She knew whose voice that was. She looked toward the beige-colored house. And sure enough. It was Anna. "Hi, Anna. What brings you by?"

"I live here, silly. What brings _you_ by?"

There was a very good question actually. Why had she chosen this particular route? It was far from the route she had taken to get to store. So why couldn't she have taken the same way back to the boarding house? "Would you believe I got lost?"

"Yes." The bluntness of that reply really got to her. Does Anna really think so little of her?

"Very well," Babs said with sternness. "I did not get lost," she stated. "I knew exactly what I was doing when I came this way."

"You did?" Eduardo scratched his head.

"Yes. I did." She really hadn't. But why let the truth get in the way of a good story? "I'm here to get a get closure on this whole situation."

"Good." Anna nodded. "That was what Mac and I were about to do when you came by. Right, Mac?" He looked away. "No matter. We can have a civilized conversation inside without those two lumpkins."

"What lumpkins? I don't see any lumpkins." She whispered to Mac, "Say what is lumpkin anyway?"

He shrugged. "Got me."

Babs nodded. "Okay. Let's all go inside to have a nice little chat with tea and biscuits. That's cookies to you and me, Mac," she told him.

"Huh."

"How can we have closure with all these interlopers around?"Anna didn't look too pleased with Mac and Eduardo.

"They are my new friends, Anna."

"Fine." She turned and headed for her house. After just two paces she looked back. "Are you coming or not?"

"Coming," Babs called.

Anna continued on to the house.

"Are you sure about this Babs?" Mac said. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to."

"It's too late to turn back now."

"I suppose..."

When they heard an _Ahem!_ from the front door they all, meaning Babs and Mac, Eduardo had kept up with Anna, hurried to catch up.

"Now that everyone's finally here we can go in. Oh by the way, Babs," Anna said as she opened the door. "There's somebody waiting for you inside."

"Oh?"

"I thought I told to stay put, young lady," Frankie's voice came from somewhere inside.

Babs began shuffling her feet. "I take it that that trip to the beach is out of the question."


End file.
